"We are committed to ease the traffic problems of Delhi and are taking a slew of steps. Another major milestone to decongest Delhi will be Delhi-Meerut Expressway, foundation stone of which will be laid by Prime Minister on December 31," Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told PTI.

The Minister said presently there is only one route i.e. NH-58 between Delhi and Meerut on which the traffic remains jammed at several places, thus causing a lot of inconvenience to people commuting between Delhi and Meerut.

"An urgent need for an expressway was felt for unhindered fast and safe travel from Delhi to Meerut and vice versa and accordingly the project was prepared," Gadkari said.

The alignment of Delhi-Meerut Express will start from Nizammudin Bridge (Km 00) from Delhi and will continue on existing NH 24 upto Dasna [km 30.38].

"From Dasna there will be completely a new alignment upto Meerut. The alignment will terminate on inner ring road/ Meerut bypass near Railway crossing at Meerut," he said.

The project is proposed under four packages with the three packages Nizamuddin Bridge to UP Border, UP Border to Dasna and Dasna to Hapur project cost at Rs 2,809.6 crore. The fourth package will be a new alignment of Delhi Meerut Expressway from Dasna to Meerut and six laning of connector.

It is proposed that new alignment of the expressway from Dasna to Meerut and six-laing of Connector is also to be taken after the completion of 90 per cent land acquisition, he said.

The total land required for three packages is 348.6 hectares of which 343.36 hectare has already been acquired.

Earlier this month Gadkari has said, "The government is committed to decongest Delhi. We have set an ambitious target. This is to complete the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressway in 400 days."

The Prime Minister last month laid the foundation stone of 341 km three national highway projects - the Eastern Peripheral Highway, Western Peripheral Highway and 8 laning of the National Highway between Mukarba Chowk in Delhi and Panipat in Haryana.

Meanwhile, as per an official statement, the cost of the entire project is ..